In Praise of Pumpkin, Part 2: Gluten Free Pumpkin Drop Cookies

Pumpkin Week continues here at Off the Wheaten Path. Today's recipe is one of my old favorites from back in college. There's actually a funny story that goes with them. One day a very cute guy in one of my classes had a big tupperware of the most delicious pumpkin cookies in them. He was handing them out to classmates and asked me if I wanted one. I honestly can say I had never had anything with pumpkin in it except for pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving before. Nothing! Back then I was still afraid of food, so I gingerly accepted one and almost fell over on the floor from the yumminess. I had two more cookies and asked him for the recipe. He assured me, with a wink and a smile, that he would ask his mom for the recipe. I figured he would forget, but the next day, there he was with a recipe card with the precious cookie ingredients written in his mother's handwriting. I grabbed the card like a maniac and thanked him profusely. He smiled and said his mom was really flattered that someone had actually asked for the recipe. He sat by me the rest of the day, I think expecting me to flirt more with him. I think he thought I was using the recipe as small talk, but I really just used him for that recipe! Wicked woman! Maybe I should have asked him out or something in exchange?

Anyway, this is one of my favorite recipes using pumpkin, and my 13 year old, who rarely has anything good to say about my cooking, actually loves these and gave herself a stomachache while eating too many of them.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Drop Cookies

2 cups Grandpa's Kitchen baking flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Grease cookie sheets. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together. Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredients, combine well. Add chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in a ziploc bag to retain moistness.

Tune in tomorrow for another pumpkin favorite!

Happy eating!